A young student takes every opportunity she can to see a free Ukraine

Even before Copenhagen Business School (CBS) officially announced who would be joining its summer programme, Yuliia had it on good authority from a director at her university that good news was coming.

Still, when she finally got the invite to attend a two-week entrepreneurship summer programme for international students at one of Scandinavia’s most prestigious schools, Yuliia was thrilled.

Learning to build amid the war

Entering the halls of CBS, Yuliia did not have specific expectations for the intensive course other than learning the foundations of entrepreneurship. But she saw the opportunity as a way to contribute to Ukraine amid the war. With many men serving in the military, women are playing an increasingly important role in keeping businesses running, creating new enterprises, and sustaining the economy.

"We talked about a lot of examples of Ukrainian companies and start-ups that have adapted their business because of the war," Yuliia says, adding that their pivot to support the country in its time of need is motivating to her. "I originally thought as an entrepreneur, you needed to focus on a narrow set of skills. But I learned that if you wanted to build a business, you needed to understand everything."

Two influential guest lecturers made a particular impression: Danish investor and strategic advisor, Mia Wagner, who appeared on Denmark's version of Shark Tank (Løvens Hule or The Lion's Den) and Nataliia Popovych, a Ukrainian civic activist and founder of the consulting group One Philosophy and Ukraine House in Denmark, a hub for Ukrainian dialogue and culture.

A visit to Ukraine House proved especially moving. Emotions welled in Yuliia as she walked past the House's walls and as Nataliia shared stories about her family and the importance of keeping Ukrainian values close. "Because values are something that we also fight for in the front lines," Yuliia says.

But what the young student appreciated the most in all her classes was how involved her teachers were in the cohort's learning experience, especially when it came to strengthening their mindset. "They didn't just come in to say a few things to us and leave," she notes.

Yuliia returned to Ukraine, carrying tools and ideas to perhaps one day launch a startup of her own — likely a nonprofit — and to apply in her role as student assistant at NIRAS Ukraine.

Working alongside NIRAS to fulfil a dream

It was through a student newsletter that Yuliia found out about NIRAS. "I like the company’s social mission in Ukraine. The projects are designed to improve life here and facilitate a smoother transition into the EU, which is important for me," she shares.

As a student assistant, Yuliia's general responsibility is to provide on-the-ground context of Ukraine. Daily, she has her nose in the news. And because she specialises in big data, a specific primary task for her is to create risk maps for fellow colleagues who plan to visit the office in Ukraine, pinpointing high-risk zones then presenting them through visualisation tools.

Following her time in Copenhagen, she is also keen to contribute more to business development and other areas where her skills can be useful.

"Since working with us, Yuliia has been an exceptional member of the team. We’re very proud to see her thrive and hone her skills, especially after taking the summer programme at CBS. There’s no doubt she will go far," says Jesper Karup Pedersen, our Market Director for Ukraine. 

But perhaps the most striking thing Yuliia brought home from Copenhagen was a renewed appreciation of ordinary life. She recalls having found respite in the daily routine Copenhagen afforded her. In Ukraine, she explains how students often bring a tourniquet and medical kits in case of a missile attack.

"It's a very small part of something unusual we have to face each day," she says. "We want to live, hopefully in a few years, without missiles, but that's the context we are living today."

Despite the exhaustion of years of war, she says people continue to find reasons to keep going.

In Yuliia's case, what drives her is knowing she is doing what she can to help support Ukraine. "I tell myself that I want to be able to look at the military men’s eyes and not cover mine," she shares. To her, every effort counts towards showing great love for her nation and its people. 

In the future, Yuliia envisions herself hiking and standing atop the Crimea mountains without fear. And to do that, she — along with her fellow youth — works hard to help in any way they can to see their home country freed and finally at peace.

"For now, that is my biggest dream," she says.